Gone Astray
by Starling Rising
Summary: Instead of running to the Fair in Cria , Daine is captured by her fellow villagers and sent to the local lord's castle. DN eventually.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey! New story from me! I hope y'all like it, and I promise to update Hunted soon. Please review and tell me if you like it!_

Lord Ilar didn't know what to do. The idiots from the town of Snowsdale had brought him a mad woman and expected him to make some decision about her. Why they couldn't just kill her and be done with it he didn't know. They had told him she'd been fine for the first twelve years of her life, until her ma had been killed by a group of bandits. After that, she had gone mad, running with the local wolf pack until they had managed to kill all of the outlaws. Apparently, this was what the imbeciles were struggling with. She had rid the town of the brigands that had killed the whore\midwife, and they didn't have the heart to kill her. Idiots.

"Lock her up in the dungeons until I can find a better place for her," he drawled. More like put her in a cage until the townsfolk leave and he could find the time to kill her. The guards grabbed the girl from the two men who were holding her, and dragged her, kicking and screaming, into the fortress.

"She will be dealt with," he told them. "You may return to your village."

The townsfolk turned and walked away, slumped over from exhaustion. When they had disappeared over the hill, Ilar turned and went back into his castle. He had things to do.

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Daine came back to awareness in a cold stone room. She was lying on the floor, and she was stiff. She tried to rise and stretch, but she soon found that that was made impossible by the chains around her wrists, ankles, and neck. She could stand, but only in a hunched over sort of way. It was much easier to sit back down. She looked around, and saw there was a door. It seemed thick and would be hard to open, but she was sure she could do it when someone came and let her out of these chains.

Then she wondered why she was lying in a cold stone room with chains restraining her from moving into any sort of comfortable position. Suddenly, images filled her mind. A pillar of smoke rising from the hill where her home was. Ma's, Granda's, Mammoth's, and Cloud's dam, all laying dead at her feet. The wolves coming to help her grieve when they came to investigate the smell of fresh meat. Their promise to help her find and kill the monsters who murdered her pack. Becoming a monster herself.

Daine sat still through the rush of memories, and when they were over, stayed in the same place. She deserved to be locked up, she realized. This was the reason she was covered in chains. She leaned over her knees and sobbed.

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After a while, she heard the door open to admit a stocky man in his forties, with a pot belly and a sneer on his face. He looked at her for a moment, and then beckoned to the guard outside.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Veralidaine Sarrasri, sir," she answered.

"Well," he said through his smirk at her name, "I don't see any evidence of madness here. The Snowsdale people must have just wanted to get rid of the town bastard after her mother died. Let her go."

The guard looked hesitant, but walked over and reluctantly unlocked the girl's shackles. He then led her outside, making her eyes water at the sudden burst of light. All of the animals in the courtyard rushed to her, making sure she wasn't hurt. She giggled, and then asked where her pony cloud was. All the animals went silent.

"Where's Cloud?" she asked again, feeling they were keeping something from her.

"Oh, you mean the evil mountain pony? We disposed of her quite easily. She made an excellent stew." Said the man with the belly.

Daine felt herself spiraling downwards into the madness again, though she tried to fight it. Without warning, she launched herself at the important looking man. The guard caught her.

"How dare you try to attack me!" he spluttered as she struggled against the burly guard's hold. "I am the lord of this fief, and I demand an apology!"

"You killed Cloud!" was her only response. Then she pointed her finger at Ilar.

She was caught completely off guard when all the animals in the courtyard with them attacked the lord. He screamed, and everybody in range came running at the sound. Including Ilar's sixteen year-old son, Oliver. He ran into the middle of the crowd, pulling animals off his father.

Oliver managed to wrestle most of the cats, dogs, birds, and squirrels away from Ilar, only to reveal a red-faced, furious Lord of the Castle.

"Kill her! Kill the beasts too! Kill them all!" he screamed.

"Father, I'm sure it was a mistake. Look at her," he pleaded, pointing to Daine, who was looking suitably pitiful from where she was collapsed on the ground. "She looks harmless now, and we can probably just lock her up again. And I want to find out why the animals helped her like that. It was strange."

"You're right, my boy," admitted Ilar. "You can have her for your studies, but keep her on a leash and don't let her hurt you."

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_Don't hate me. things aren't all as they seem. Now don't forget to review!_


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver (she thought that was his name) came over to her and picked her up off the ground. Daine was surprised at his boldness, especially after what had just happened. He started to carry her into the keep.

"I think I know where we can keep you," he mused. "My great-great-grandfather inadvertently married a madwoman, and built a tower for her to stay in. We can put you there, since you won't be able to go out and it will be much more comfortable than the dungeon."

Daine nodded and let him carry her through the castle. He brought her to a door in the middle of a corridor filled with doors. He produced a key from his pocket and unlocked it, still holding Daine.

He opened the door to reveal a pretty room, much nicer than anything she had ever stayed in before. It was a round sitting room, with a fluffy rug on the floor, a chair, a desk, and a chaise. There were bookshelves on the walls and it looked very comfortable.

"You should be fine here." Oliver said, gesturing at the room after setting her down on the chaise. The bedroom is up those stairs."

Daine looked around to find a spiral staircase concealed behind a hanging. She turned back around to thank Whatever-his-name-was, but he'd already left.

She shrugged and went up the stairs to find a cozy little bedroom. It had a daybed in pushed against one wall, and behind a changing screen there was a door to the privy.

She lay down on the bed and tried to go to sleep, having nothing better to do, but was interrupted from a doze by a rough voice inside her head.

-This is not good-

She looked over to see a large badger on the bed beside her. He looked angry.

"What?" she asked in wonderment.

-You, kit, have gone badly astray. You shouldn't be here.-

"Who are you? And how do you know I've done something wrong?"

-I am the male badger god. Your da set me to watch over you and I haven't been doing my job.-

"What? You know my da?"

-Of course- he said, - And since tings have gone so badly, I guess I will have to train you myself-

"Train?"

-You have wild magic, kit-

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Daine worked with the badger for the rest of that day. He told her about her magic, how she could heal, and maybe even shape shift. However, when it started to get dark, Badger looked around.

-It is time for me to leave, kit. I'll come back when I can. Time moves differently where I live.-

Before Daine could even open her mouth to ask what he meant, he had disappeared. She sat down on her new bed and went over everything she had learned that day. She was lost in thought when a knock sounded on her door.

Oliver came in with a tray of food. He sat it down on the small table beside her bed, and then turned to look at her.

"I brought you dinner," he said shyly. Daine grabbed the roll and took a bite out of it. "Thank you," she said, her voice muffled by the bread.

Oliver sat down on the bed next to her and watched as she ate her food, wondering what they had fed her in the dungeons to make her so hungry. _But then, she is a country girl_, he thought,_ She might eat like this all the time._ When she was done, she wiped her mouth and said, "I'm sorry, Ma would kill me if she saw me eating like that." She seemed to realize what she had said, and her face crumpled. Oliver felt horrible for even thinking she had no table manners.

Daine began to cry softly, covering her face with her hands. After a moment, she felt arms go around her, and her face came up against a warm chest. "I'm sorry too Daine, none of this ever should have happened. I will try to make it better, for you, even if my father says you have to stay in this tower."

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A week passed, and Daine found it harder and harder to stay in the two rooms allotted to her. She had never liked closed spaces, and being trapped in one like an animal in a cage was almost too much. She didn't know what she would do without Oliver and the badger, who had visited twice more that week to give her lessons. Oliver came every day to deliver her meals, saying that all the guards were afraid of her. He would often stay to talk, and she started to enjoy his company during the long days.

She was sitting in the chair she had moved over to the window for lessons and talking to the People in general when a panicked cry came from the woods that surrounded one half of the castle's walls. At first she thought it was Lord Ilar, whose horse had a habit of stepping on his toes, but she soon realized that she had heard the anguished wail inside her head.

She frantically cast out a net of her magic, searching for the hurt animal. After long moments of searching she found a horse that had broken its leg on a hunt. Its mind reeled in pain and confusion as its rider pointed his crossbow at its head. Daine entered the horse's mind and tried to soothe it, knowing what was going to happen. When the huntsman released the quarrel, she planted an image of green pastures and juicy apples in the horse's mind.

Daine wished she could have gone down there and helped the horse. Badger had said she could heal, so maybe she could have saved the poor animal. Instead, the walls of her prison seemed to compress around her, making her feel as if she were in a small box. She started to breathe hard, feeling trapped, and ran to the window to try to get some air. She knew through the haze of fear that panicking wasn't the best way to go about overcoming a phobia of being in small, closed spaces.

The window was stuck. She had no way to get fresh air, no way to get out, and no way to move. She was in a cage, albeit a fancy one. She ran down the stairs to try the other windows, but found that they were stuck too. She tried hauling against them, banging on them, and throwing candelabra at them, but nothing worked. Eventually she sank to the ground and closed her eyes, wishing she had someone to put happy, open fields in her mind like she had put in the dying horse's.

Daine had no idea how long she sat there, trying not to be a baby and cry, when Oliver came up to give her dinner. Once he saw her on the floor though, he came over and put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. Daine leaned into him, calming down with the knowledge he was there.

"Are you alright, Daine?" Oliver asked. "You look horrible."

"I'm alright," she replied. "I just don't like closed spaces. I mean, it was really nice of you to put me here, and I love the room, but nobody likes being in a cage. Especially me." She saw Oliver consider what she had just said, hoping he could do something.

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The next day, Oliver brought a metal collar and a leash up to the room with him. When Daine saw it, she immediately recoiled against the headboard. "What is that for?" she asked.

"You," Oliver sighed. "I can take you outside, but only if you wear this thing. Father's orders. Please, Daine, I know you hate being trapped, but maybe we can go out in the woods and then I'll take it off." Daine stared at him for a moment, then flung herself at him, making him blush a deep red.

"Thank you Oliver! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I didn't think you would do something so sweet for me. It must have been bad for you to get your da to let you take me anywhere!"

Oliver shook his head. "If I had known that a walk outside would make you this happy, I would have asked Father long ago."

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Daine walked out of the castle and into the courtyard, taking breaths of fresh air and trying not to act like an idiot. It was just so nice to be out in the sun again. Even if she was wearing a collar and Oliver was on the other end of the leash attached to it. They received a few funny looks from the guards on duty, but they made it into the shady cover of the woods without anything crazy happening, and for that Daine was grateful.

They came to the side of a pond, where Oliver put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. He reached up and put a hand on her neck, muttering a word in a language Daine didn't understand. The collar came off in his waiting palm.

* * *

_Ok, Ok. I know it has been AGES since I updated this, but I would definitely like you to know that I haven't abandoned it. In fact, it's my favorite of my fics so far. You just have to be a bit patient. However, hopefully you won't ever have to be as patient as you were waiting for this chapter ever again. If you're still here, I formally apologise and hope you can leave a review with...well, anything really. You can even yell at me for waiting so long, I don't care. But hopefully you can tell me wether you liked it or not. :)_

_Starling_


	3. Chapter 3

_Alright. To avoid confusion, you guys should know that four years have gone by since the last two chapters. Trust me on this one, you don't want the next twenty chapters to be Daine vegetating in her tower. The only things that really happen to her are the badger visiting to give her lessons and Oliver becoming closer to her. You also get to see a certain black robe mage for the first time, up to his usual antics. Unfortunately, he doesn't meet Daine for another chapter or two, but it's coming, I promise. _

_If you have any questions, feel free to review and ask, I'll get to you with an answer. If you don't have a question...review anyway, as they make me happy. _

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"What? You're leaving! Oliver, what am I going to do?" Daine asked. Over the last four years, Oliver had become her best friend. Of course, there wasn't much competition, but he was sweet and he kept her fed and clothed. He was also the only human she had talked to since she had been captured.

"Daine, I'm sorry. I've spoken to Father and told him how much you've improved since you came here." He tired to reassure her. "He knows of your powers and what a great use you could be to Galla. He promised to take good care of you and not let you waste away." The thing that Oliver didn't know was that her improvement over the years was due to the badger coming and telling her how to use her wild magic, not to Oliver's care alone. He didn't know the full extent of her magic, either, because if he knew she could shift, he might tell his father, and she didn't even want to consider what would happen if Ilar were to find out about _that_.

"When are you leaving?" she asked.

"Two days from now. In the morning," He replied. "Daine, please don't be mad at me. This is a chance I can't pass up. To be able to get to the university in Tortall, to be able to learn with all of those famous mages… Maybe I can find someone who knows how to help you. I hear the person who wrote the book I found in the market in Cria that day lives in Tortall. I'll tell him all about you and I'm sure he'll help."

Diane shook her head. The person who wrote that book wouldn't bother to come help her. From what she had heard, he was a very famous and powerful mage. Oliver was just trying to justify going to study in another country while she stayed here. She wasn't mad at him. She would escape if she could. She probably wouldn't even tell him she was going to go.

It was maddening though, not that Oliver was leaving but how easy it would be for her. She could just shift into a bird and fly out the window. She also knew that once she got out the window she would most likely go mad, just as she had four years ago. The only thing keeping her safe was the tower she was imprisoned in.

"I'm not angry, Oliver. If I had a chance to get out of here I would."

"I'll come back and visit, you know," he said, his voice lowered. He was trying to comfort her. "The university has holidays, I'll come then."

"Will you come back before you leave to say goodbye?" she asked.

"How could I not?" he said, and hugged her.

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Two days later, Oliver left. He made good on his promise to see her before he left, but it didn't do much good for the feeling of helplessness that washed over Daine. Even with her powers, Lord Ilar still hated her. She was sure that his promise to Oliver had been empty.

Sure enough, she didn't receive dinner. She hadn't been expecting it, so she wasn't too disappointed. She got lunch the next day, and dinner the next, but the day after that she got no food at all.

Fortunately, that was the day the badger came. Daine hadn't seen him in a while. He looked haggard, tired, and dirtier than usual.

-So, the little human left?- he asked.

Yes, she replied. Badger had insisted she talk to him with her mind when he visited, for practice.

-Be careful then, you need to keep up your strength.-

How am I supposed to do that when I am lucky to get a meal a day?

He snorted.-Figure it out. You're a resourceful kit.-

Badger, what am I going to do? I'm stuck in this tower with no safe way to get out. I have nobody around to help me, and I don't have enough food to keep a mouse happy.

-Things will look up soon, just keep your eyes open and stay alive.-

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Numair Salmalin turned and looked over his shoulder. He knew he shouldn't be where he was, but if his experiment was a success, it would help Tortall immensely.

Once he was sure he wasn't being watched, Numair turned back to the small round glass in front of him. It was supposed to be a new spying weapon, taking in all of its surroundings and then disintegrating when it was no longer needed. He was here today to test the disintegration. It would not do if the king found out he was working on this, since he was supposed to be in reserve in case an enemy came along that archers, knights, cavalry, or the other mages couldn't handle. It hardly ever got to that point, so Numair was left to sit in the castle like a pampered duchess while everyone else got to do something interesting.

Numair set the orb on the ground, stepping back a few feet. He took a deep breath, and said the word in Old Thak that would activate his spell. Nothing happened.

Numair cursed, pacing closer to the sphere. Why wasn't it working? Maybe the spell hadn't activated, or he hadn't said the word loud enough. Yes, that was it. He picked up the ball, holding it in his palm, and pronounced the phrase. He felt the globe heat up, and dropped it, but before it could even hit the ground, it exploded.

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Numair woke up to the sound of angry muttering. He turned over; trying to ignore the sound, but instead alerted the mutterer he was awake.

"Numair! I can't believe you did this!" said the voice. Numair now recognized the sound of his king, and groaned. "I cannot believe you would try something so incredibly stupid, especially when you are supposed to be in reserve," Jonathan said. "What do I have to do, Numair? Lock you in your rooms? Shut you out of the workroom? Take your books away?" A smile nearly spread across his face at the look of horror that was on the mage's face.

"You could give me something to do," Numair answered. "I don't even care what it is, I just want to get out of the castle and feel like I'm helping. Face it, Jon, there isn't much that the archers, cavalry, footmen, mages, or the dominion jewel can't handle. If it does come to that, we are all probably doomed anyway. You know me! I can't just sit here!" Jon looked at him, considering. Numair was hitting below the belt. He knew that the king hated staying in Corus, directing the attack, while the men that served him died.

"Alright. I have a mission in Galla that needs looking into. Once you are better, you can go up there and look around. Do not interfere. No one is to know of your presence. Report to me or George if you find anything."

Numair thought he might just kiss his king, but thought better of it; Thayet could keep that honor to herself. He resolved to heal as quickly as possible.

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Numair banked and spread his wings, using the air to slow himself down enough to land. He alighted on a branch, folding his wings, and let out a small cry. He had been flying all day and had finally crossed the Gallan border an hour ago. Now all he had to do was find the clothes and other supplies that had been planted around here somewhere.

He scanned the ground, looking for a certain spell… there it was! He swooped down and landed beside the pack, changing back into his original form. Numair hurriedly rooted around until he found some clothes, and pulled them on. He then inspected the contents of the rest of the sack for his money, curious as to how much he had. He discovered that the king must have been feeling generous; or maybe he was trying to bribe Numair into staying out of trouble. Whatever it was Numair found himself grateful once again.

The mage turned and headed toward the road, figuring that was the quickest way to a hot meal. Presently, he came upon a small town with a bustling inn. He walked inside and waved over the barmaid, asking for a lemonade. It wouldn't do to get drunk on a mission for the crown. Besides, the ale from such a backwater inn was not usually something Numair regretted missing. After supper and a warm bath, the mage curled up under the covers of the bed he had been allotted, wishing it could have been just a few inches longer.

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Numair dreamed he was in a small room. Upon looking around, he saw a bed, a desk, a chaise, and a screen. He was tired, and decided to lie down, but when he pulled back the covers of the bed he found a girl. She seemed to be no older than fourteen or fifteen, with long, curly brown hair and long lashes. Numair wondered who she was, but then decided not to wake her, for she had dark circles under her eyes and was much too skinny for her own good.

Numair sat down on the chair to the desk, knowing he wasn't going to wake up any time soon, and waited for something to happen. After a minute or two, the girl stirred, and turned over, making a small grunting noise. Numair found himself wondering what she was doing, and looked at her.

He was surprised to see the book on the bedside table. It was a book of stories that was one in a favorite series of his. He decided to go look at the book to see if it was one he didn't own. Surprisingly enough, it was one he hadn't seen before. He bent over the girl to reach it, and accidentally brushed her shoulder. She immediately turned around and looked him straight in the eye, her face the essence of fear.

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Numair sat up with a cry, wondering at his dream. It had seemed more real than any other dream he had ever had, and the girl had looked so frightened. Maybe the dream king was trying to tell him something.


	4. Chapter 4

Daine rolled over and sighed. She had had the oddest dream last night. In it, a man had come and woken her up. She had no idea what such a worthless dream might mean, but she thought it must be important somehow. Most of her dreams centered on her escaping from the tower, not waking up.

Oh well, she thought. I must be going crazy from hunger.

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Numair paid the innkeeper his money, and left. He had to get moving and scout for Jonathan. As he rode, trying to find anything of interest, he thought of his dream and the girl. It was strange; most of his dreams had long, drawn out plot lines that never seemed to get resolved. Maybe he had eaten something funny at the inn last night.

The horse he had bought from the innkeeper shied under him and tried to go off the road and into the woods to Numair's left. The hostler had warned him that this would happen, as the animals did it all the time coming through this area. Nobody knew why: some said it was a spirit in the middle of the forest trying to draw creatures to it for food, some that there was an evil witch there. Still others said that there was a ghost of the lord's wife in the tower of his castle, because he had locked her up there to starve. Numair didn't understand at all what the last had anything to do with the reason his horse wanted to go off the road, and decided the locals must be a bit mad.

Even with the warning, the mage had a hard time getting his horse under control. He hadn't thought it would be this bad. Maybe there _was_ some supernatural thing out there. As he was thinking this, the horse broke free of his control and bolted into the woods. It was all he could do to hang on and try to dodge the branches that came within inches of his head. He crouched over the horse's neck, reins abandoned, holding on for dear life.

Eventually the horse stopped. Numair slid off its back, thinking that animals going crazy by a certain stretch of road was enough of a reason to stay where he was for awhile. He planned not to get back on that thing until it was absolutely necessary. He rested his cheek on the moss growing under a tree, breathing meditatively and trying his absolute best to calm down. Onua had said once that horses could sense if you were scared and turn it against you faster than you could blink.

For some reason, however, the horse stayed exactly where it had stopped, peacefully cropping all the leaves within reach.

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Daine had been thinking about Cloud, like she always did when she was hungry. The thought that her faithful pony had been slaughtered served to kill even the most voracious appetite. She was about to start crying again (out of self-pity at first, then from the memory of how little tolerance Cloud had for wallowing) when a horse came careening into her range. She asked him what was wrong, and he replied that he had felt her sadness and had come to see if she was alright.

That's sweet of you, she replied. I was just missing my pony, they killed her a while back.

Well, said the horse, who she now recognised as having come here before. I think she would be disappointed in you for being so pitiful. Daine smiled at his matter-of-factness. And now that I'm here, the horse continued, could you help me with something?

Of course, she said. Anything to keep her mind off of the horrible emptiness of her stomach.

My rider is laying on the ground, came the horse's voice. He was going somewhere, but he was not in a hurry, and you were so upset, that I decided to come here instead. But he kind of fell off when I stopped, and now he's not moving.

Is he breathing?! Daine asked frantically.

The horse, whose name she now remembered was Feather, nosed the man on the ground. Yes, he said. He's breathing. Still not moving though. Should I bite him to wake him up?

No! was Daine's reply. Let him stay there. You probably scared the poor man out of his wits! But don't move. Stay with him and don't leave.

Alright, said Feather. And he began to eat the succulent leaves off a nearby tree.

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Numair calmed down eventually and spread his magic over the countryside to see where he was. He found the road a few miles away, and the castle of the local noble much closer to him. Upon looking at the sun, he saw that he had lain there for much longer than he thought. The only tings he had time left to do before dark were going to the castle or camping where he was. He would love to have a real bed that fit him, but going to the castle would be conspicuous, and that was the last thing he needed. He would also have to get back on the horse.

He sighed, and gave up the idea of a warm bath and clean sheets. The mage started to draw his magic in, but found it was caught on something in the direction of the castle. He probed the area to see what was causing the disturbance.

He found it with a gasp. It seemed there was a huge source of wild magic inside the keep. Numair couldn't believe it. He puzzled over what could be the cause. Surely it wasn't a wildmage. It couldn't be. But that was the only logical explanation for such a large concentration of power.

He must be incredibly strong, Numair thought. If I can feel him all the way from here. I have to find him!

The mage rose to his feet and said to the horse, "I want you to stay right here. I'll unsaddle you, but I guess I can't really trust you not to wander off, especially after what happened earlier." He thought for a moment. "I'll put up a magical fence, alright?"

To his surprise, the horse nodded.

"And I will make sure the fence encloses a stream, so you can get water. It will feel like so..." Numair put the fence in a small circle around the horse, and led him through it. It wasn't designed to hurt, just to make Feather feel tingly all over.

Once he was sure the animal knew what to look for, Numair expanded the enclosure until it was about a mile in area, but not coming close to the road. He unsaddled his horse, then sat down and took a deep breath. Within seconds a large black hawk stood where the man had been. He took off, heading toward the castle and the wildmage. He cast out his magic, pinpointing exactly where the source of the magic was, and found it to be in the topmost tower of the keep.

I'll just fly in the window and explain myself, he thought, then he can come back to Tortall with me, if he wishes.

His plan set, Numair flew to the tower and through the open window, which was strange on such a chilly day. Landing in what appeared to be the bedroom, Numair changed into his natural form and looked around.

There was a bed, and a small table, but no wildmage. Numair decided he must be down the stairs in the corner. He walked down them, completely absorbed in his discovery.

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The anatomy of a squirrel is an enigma to the-

Daine looked up from her book too a sound coming from upstairs. It seemed similar to a bird landing on her floor, but they usually only came when she asked them to. She decided it must be an emergency, and got up, only to find a large, naked man at the foot of her stairs.

Daine shrieked, making her unwanted guest scream as well. After a moment of confusion, she threw a pillow at him and grabbed a candle holder.

"Who are you?!" she asked, "And what are you doing here?!"

"Forgive me mistress, but I am a mage, and I sensed a very rare and powerful source of magic nearby. As to how I got here, I flew."

"You flew?" she asked incredulously. "And nobody saw you? How did you manage that?"

He shifted from foot to foot, now covering himself with the pillow she had thrown at his head. "I, I... shape shifted, if you must know."

Daine sat down hard, the candle holder slipping from her hand. To think that she had nearly beaten someone else who could shape shift. This also explained why he was naked.

"You can do it too?" she asked. Maybe this strange man could help her.

He fidgeted. "Well, yes, but nobody is supposed to know about that particular aspect of my magic."

"But how... how did you do it? Can you only change into one animal, or more than one, like-"

"I can only change into one animal, and it isn't a perfect shift." He paused and thought for a moment. "And what did you mean when you said, 'You can do it _too_'?'' he asked.

Now it was Daine's turn to fidget. "Um, it's a long story, and you scared me pretty badly. And maybe you'd like to get some clothes?" she asked sheepishly.

He looked down at himself, seeming to remember that he had no clothes on. He then nodded and closed his eyes, after a moment, he made a gesture with his free hand and a saddle bag appeared in it. He suddenly looked tired, but he opened the bag and took out a set of clothes.

"I will go upstairs and dress, and then you must explain." He gave her a stern look, and then backed to the stairs. Daine decided she would give him some modesty, turning around and not moving until he came back. Now that he was fully clothed, Daine let herself get a good look at the shape shifting stranger who had flown in through her bedroom window. He was tall; she only came up to his collarbone. He had dark hair tied back in a horsetail, a long nose, full lips, and shadowy eyes. He sat down on the couch, patting the seat beside him. When he saw her hesitate, he said, "I apologize for frightening you so. Truly, it was the only way to get up here."

"But why would you want to come in the first place?" Daine asked. "How did you know anyone was out here? I've been up here for years with no one coming to look for me."

"I didn't know that you in particular were here, I am here looking for strange occurrences, and I stumbled upon this when my horse bolted off into the woods for no apparent reason."

The moment he said "strange occurrences" Daine felt ice go down her spine. If anything was a strange occurrence, she would be one. A girl who thought she was a wolf? He would kill her on the spot!

She sat beside him, folding her hands in her lap. He was looking at her patiently, waiting for her to say something. She scrambled for words, trying to think up anything he would believe that wasn't the truth.

After a moment of silence, he reached over and took he hand."You don't have to tell me if it distresses you. I realize that we just met. Shall we start with the basics? My name is Numair. And your's is?"

Daine felt she had heard the name before, but couldn't place it. "I'm Veralidaine Sarrasri, or Daine."

"Alright, Daine. Would you happen to know why my horse ran off into the forest today?"

"N-no,"she stuttered. He gave her a penetrating look. "Well, yes, but it wasn't my fault! I was sad and he came to make sure I was all right."

"No, I think you misunderstand me." Numair said, "I am actually very glad that my horse ran into the woods like he did, even if it was a bit of a harrowing experience." She sent him an incredulous look, and he explained further. "You see, Daine, I have been searching for a person with wild magic for a very long time. Some call me crazy for having such an odd dream, but I really can't help it." He smiled ruefully. "But now I finally have proof that one exists, and the person who may know something about it is refusing to tell me anything." He looked up at her, his eyes searching her own. "Would you not find that frustrating?"

"Well," she started. "I don't even know what wild magic is, so you would have to tell me something about it before I answer any questions." She sat back, proud of her answer. This mage seemed like the type who could go on for hours.

"Wild magic is magic from nature. A wildmage can tap into that and use it for their own purposes. For example: a wildmage with a connection to animals could possibly heal, talk to the animals and... shape shift. Am I correct?"

Her plan had backfired. Badly. Now the dratted man sat there looking expectantly at her. She rapidly went through things she could say to get out of it. She could only come up with one thing..."I'm sorry, I have to use the privy."

She abruptly got up and left, running up the stairs and into the small washroom. She sat on the floor and prepared to wait him out.

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About an hour later she began to wonder what he thought she was doing in the privy for so long, and decided to come out. She stood, stretched, and cautiously opened the door. He was sprawled across her bed, his feet hanging off the end, reading her book.

She gave a small yelp and lunged toward him, snatching the book out of his hands and clutching it to her chest. He stared at his empty hands and then slowly turned his gaze on her. She was suddenly struck by terror; what if she had made him angry? Surely this mage was powerful enough to blow her into tiny pieces. But he just asked,"Where did you get that book? It is a part of a favorite series of mine, and I have been looking for that one for a while."

Daine couldn't believe it."You mean there's more than the one?" she asked.

He smiled. "Of course. I have the first ten back in Corus." Daine gaped openly at him, wondering how much he had to pay to get ten books of his very own. "But this particular one has proven to be very hard to find, and now I've finally managed to find it, and a wildmage. It truly has been a good day." He grinned happily, then yawned. "And now I should probably give you your bed back, and go to sleep myself. For all that it was such a good day, It was rather tiring. And shifting gives me headaches."

"But where will you sleep?" This must be the strangest mage in the world. In her experience, they were all high and mighty, spewing magical things into your ear merely for the purpose of confusing you. They thought they were more important than the gods themselves- although they would never admit it, for fear of being smitten- and they were not shy about yelling or pushing other, less important people out of the way. Daine had fully expected this man to kick her out of her bed, or make her share it with him.

"Downstairs on the couch of course," he replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "All I ask for is a pillow and a few blankets." She gave him what he asked for, and he promptly disappeared down the stairs, yawning.

Daine got under the blankets left on her bed. He really was the strangest person she had ever met. He was clearly a very powerful mage, to be able to shape shift, but he showed none of the signs that she had come to associate with mages. He didn't seem to have the arrogant attitude that the lord's mage, Ganix. He did use large words and talk of magical things, but he did it in such a way that it seemed he did it not to be irritating, but because he couldn't help it. He was also very polite, other than barging into her tower uninvited and naked. She still didn't trust him, though. He was just too nice.

* * *

_So, what did you think? Daine finally met Numair, Numair has realized his life's dream, and the plot is finally moving along! If you have any questions, comments, or just want to say "Hi," drop me a review, and I'll try to get back to you._


	5. Chapter 5

Daine woke up the next morning shivering under her covers, wondering where the other blankets had gone. To her surprise, a moment later the door to the privy opened and a very tall man stepped out. Daine squealed and hid under the covers, then remembered the events of the day before.

"What were you doing in there?!" she asked incredulously.

The mage lookedflummoxed. "Do I really have to explain?"

Daine blushed "I'm sorry, you just surprised me. And no, you don't have to explain." She shuddered mentally at the thought.

"No, no. I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn't have startled you like that. I wouldn't have except for the fact that nature was calling rather loudly and I didn't wish to wake you." He bowed elegantly. "I am very sorry." He looked into her eyes as he straightened, holding her gaze. Daine was surprised at the intensity in his eyes, and found that she couldn't look away.

He must have noticed her shivers, because he suddenly looked away and said, "Would you like your blankets back? I was certainly glad to have them last night, but at the moment it looks like you need them more than I."

Daine shook her head. "It's about time I got up anyhow. I need to..." she trailed off. There was nothing she needed to do, really. Just the dull monotony of sitting in the tower all day, hoping that she might get some food. At the thought, her stomach rumbled. She watched as Numair's gaze went to her middle, and she grinned sheepishly.

"How long has it been since you last ate?" he asked. Daine thought about it for a moment. "I think it was the day before yesterday. Maybe the day before that." She shrugged. "I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer you, they feed me when they think about it."

Numair looked appalled. "Wait here." He disappeared down the stairs. Daine took the opportunity to pull off her night gown and pull on a dress, numerous petticoats, and stockings. Numair reappeared as she was dragging a brush through her unruly curls. He noticed he was holding the saddle bags he had magicked into her rooms yesterday, but was completely surprised when he pulled out some dried meat, a loaf of bread, and a small round ball that smelled like spices. He handed a chunk of the bread to her, along with some of the meat, and then pulled out a pot and used some of Daine's clean wash water to fill it up. He spelled it to sit over the fire to warm. Daine was staring at the meat in apprehension as she munched on the bread.

"What type of meat is this?" She asked.

"Venison jerky," came the reply. Numair turned around in time to see Daine's perplexed expression. There was no way she could force herself to eat this meat. But if she refused it, especially when he knew she hadn't eaten in days, there would be awkward questions. She couldn't hide it; he was looking at her far too closely for that. She sighed.

"Numair, I can't eat the jerky."

"Why not? It's not gone bad, has it?"

"No," she said, resigned. "I can't eat wild game, it makes me sick."

He looked at her strangely. "What can you eat?"

"Domesticated animals, like chicken, beef, some ham, and fish."

"Is it an allergic reaction?" She shook her head. "Is there something wrong with the game in the area?" She shook her head again.

"Oh."

The "Oh" made her nervous. It sounded like he had made a discovery, but didn't want her to know.

She hastily finished the roll and stood up. "Call me when the soup is ready," she said, and pelted down the stairs.

When she made it to the bottom, she walked to the window and looked out at the forest. Maybe if she told him it wouldn't be that bad. After all, the worst he could do was kill her. If he did that then at least she could get out of the tower. It wasn't as if she had anyone to miss her. She might see her ma again, and her grandda...

"The soup is ready!" came the call from upstairs. Daine started out of her thoughts and immediately scolded herself for thinking so morbidly. She couldn't just give up like that! What would her ma say!

She made it to the top of the stairs and accepted the bowl of soup from Numair. She quickly scarfed it down, and only then thought to ask what was in it.

"Chicken, thyme, and various vegetables," came the reply. Daine sighed in relief.

They sat in silence for a moment, Daine desperately trying to think up something to keep him busy. She didn't want any awkward questions.

"Would you like a bath?" she asked impulsively. At his surprised look, she said, "Well, you've been traveling, and most travelers only want to rest, eat and bathe when they find a place to stay. You've rested and eaten, so there's only bathing left."

He looked down at himself, as if only just realizing that he was travel worn, and nodded. "Do you have enough water?"

Daine nodded and went to the window. Hanging under it was a large oilskin that she hung out to catch the rain. Oliver had brought it to her when she had complained that the guards never gave her enough water to bathe with. She lifted the bucket sitting on the floor, but Numair took it from her and filled it up himself.

"It's my bath, and I'll fill it up. You eat the rest of the soup."

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Numair finished filling the tub in the washroom with water from the makeshift reservoir and warmed it up with his gift. After closing the door, he stripped off his clothes and sank into the water. Daine had been right, he had needed a bath.

He also suspected her of stalling for time. She was such an untrusting little thing. But then, he supposed she had her reasons. People don't get locked in towers for nothing, after all. It was probably her magic that had gotten her into this mess in the first place, so he couldn't really blame her if she didn't want to tell him about it.

He hadn't really made the best first impression either. Of course, after he had met her he had tried his hardest to gain her trust, but things like that don't happen overnight. He couldn't really blame her if she didn't want to spill her heart to the man who had come unannounced and naked into her little world just the day before.

He had just been so _surprised._ He had been expecting a mountain man, not this frail little girl with the storm cloud eyes. Why, she was more of a mage_let _than a mage!

Oh well, he thought as he used the bucket to tump water over his head, She just was a bit different than my expectations. I think I would rather have her than a mountain man anyway, even if she is a bit skittish.

He finished his bath and dressed, then went out into the bedroom. He found Daine had fallen asleep in her chair, the empty soup bowl dangling out of her hand. He gently took it from her and set it on the table, then leaned down and looked her in the face.

"Daine?" he gave her shoulder a delicate shake. "Magelet?" deciding that she was out cold and that he'd rather not wake her, he slipped his arms under her knees and back, then carried her to the bed. He laid her down, pulling the blankets on top of her, and left.

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Daine woke to a weight on her chest. At first, she thought it was the mage, finally showing his true colors. She began to panic and pushed at the weight, but then realized that her fingers were embedded in thick, wiry fur.

"Badger," she mumbled.

-Kit, wake up. I need to have a talk with you.- He sounded angry. Daine opened her eyes all the way and saw that the badger god's nose wasn't an inch from hers. "-Kit, you need to trust this mage. Things are starting to fall into place again, and you need to play along.

-I can't believe you didn't realize sooner. It's not as if you don't know who he is.- The badger disappeared from her chest and materialized across the room, next to the book shelf. Daine got up out of bed and went over to where he was, and found him nosing her book on wild magic out of its spot on the bottom shelf. It fell out onto the ground, and Daine gasped. She knew she'd heard his name before!

_Observations on Wild Magic_

Numair Salmalin

Daine picked up the book, cradling it to her chest. She had known that the man who wrote this book was famous, rumored to be the most powerful mage the world had ever seen. So what was he doing in her little corner of the world?

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Daine crept down the spiral staircase, clutching the heavy book in her arms. She paused when the mage came into view, sprawled out over the couch and snoring lightly. He didn't really look like a great and powerful mage at the moment, but Daine of all people knew that appearances could be deceiving.

She took a deep breath and reached to gently shake Numair's shoulder, whispering his name.

"Magelet?" he said blearily, opening his eyes and squinting at her.

She chose to ignore the strange name, and said, "Was it really you who wrote this?" She handed him the book carefully, making sure he had a firm hold on it before surrendering it to his grasp.

Numiar stared down at the book in astonishment. "Where did you get this?" He asked in a wondering tone.

"Oliver found it at the Fair in Cria, and brought it back here to me," Daine said hastily, afraid that he was angry. It was his book after all.

"Onua," he muttered ruefully. "Who is this Oliver person? You haven't ever mentioned him before."

It took Daine a minute to catch up to his abrupt subject change. He had gone from muttering strange names to asking about her only friend in the space of a breath. "Oliver is lord Ilar's son. I guess he felt fair sorry for me after I went - was captured, and he brought me to the tower. He's my friend."

Numair nodded. "As to your first question, I did write this book." He flipped to book to a random page in the middle, to show her the now familiar elegant scrawl. He then rummaged in his pack until he found the report he had been writing to Jonathan, putting the two next to each other so she could see how the handwriting matched.

Daine nodded and then swallowed, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "I suppose I owe you an explanation, then. At least I know you'll believe me." She looked up into his face, seeing the curiosity and excitement there, before returning her gaze to her lap. "I always felt a bit sorry for you, writing so persistently about something you weren't even sure was real. After all the trouble you went through, first writing this book, and then finding me, you deserve to have your proof."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "I have your wild magic, Numair." She tensed, waiting for his anger for not telling him sooner. It startled her when, instead of hitting her, he threw his arms around her in a hug so tight she could hardly breathe.

"Thank you," he breathed into her shoulder. "You can't possibly know how long I've been waiting to hear that. I've finally found a wildmage!"

Daine had no idea what to do. She stared down at the top of his head, which was currently resting on her shoulder, and waited for him to come to his senses. After a moment, he let her go and smiled shyly at her. "I apologise. I must have gotten a little over excited there for a bit." He looked down at the floor, then back into her eyes. "Can you talk to the animals?" Daine nodded, knowing that this interrogation would come sometime. "Can you heal? Can you shape shift!?" Daine nodded again. "Oh magelet, this is wonderful! We can go back to Corus, and you can live in the castle, and maybe even -"

"What's a magelet?" Daine asked. He looked startled at the interruption.

"It doesn't mean anything really, just "little mage," I suppose."

"Oh."

She shivered, only now noticing the cold. She wasn't sure if she wanted a pet name, especially since she had only met him the day before yesterday. It seemed harmless though, and it wasn't as demeaning as some of the things she had heard men call their women. Not that she was his, of course. She shook her head to clear her mind of that train of thought, and paid attention to what he was saying.

"-should probably go back to bed. You're freezing, and you need to get your rest." She nodded for what seemed the millionth time that night, and went back up the stairs.

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Daine woke up late the next morning, feeling stiff, like she hadn't moved for hours. She stretched, and then yelped. It felt like a knife had been thrown into her shoulders and abdomen. After looking around to make sure the mage wouldn't walk in like he had the previous morning, she hiked up her shift and saw the proof of the badger's visit last night. She had deep purple bruises across her stomach and on both her shoulders.

She grimaced and rose from the bed, pulling on a dress with a high collar to avoid the awkward questions the mage was sure to ask if he saw her injuries. She walked down the stairs, peeking around the corner to make sure Numair was decent before making her appearance. He looked up from where he sat on the couch as she descended the last step of the staircase.

"Good morning, Daine. Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Before or after I woke you up?" Daine replied, blushing. She really should have waited till morning.

"Either."

"I couldn't sleep before. That's why I came and bothered you. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Don't be sorry," he said, getting up and coming over to take her hand. "Thank you for trusting me. I know it must have been hard for you." Daine blushed at his sincere intensity, and turned away. The hand that wasn't holding hers came to cup her cheek, forcing her to look at him. She stared into the warm brown eyes, unable to look away. This man had only showed up two days ago, and already he was turning her whole world upside down.

A rattling noise came from the tower door. Daine felt her eyes go wide. "Hide!" She whispered frantically. At Numair's questioning look, she hissed, "They've come to feed me, and if they know you're here, it'll only make things worse. Go!!" The mage didn't move. Daine sent him a terrified glare, and he gave her a sly grin before he let go of her hand and disappeared into thin air. Daine barely had time to gasp before the door opened and two guards came into the room, one carrying a tray of food, the other a hunting spear.

Daine felt a hand on her shoulder, and Numair suddenly appeared beside her. She sent him a wild eyed glance, and he mouthed, "They can't see me." Daine relaxed, and looked back to the guards. They were staring at her warily, obviously having noticed her alarm.

"Now, missy, we jus' brought ye yer food," said the man with the tray. He was facing her, even though the table was to his back. As he set down the tray, his eyes never left her face. "There. Now you can eat yer nice food, and everyting'll be a'right. Jest stay calm, we won't hurt ye..." he continued talking, like he was speaking to an injured animal. Daine looked up to see a startled look on Numair's face. He obviously wasn't expecting the guards to be _scared _of the frail girl.

Daine took a step forward, moving for the table, and the food. The guard with the spear struck out with the handle, knocking the girl to the floor. He put the butt of the weapon against her neck as his comrade escaped, and then ran out of the room, locking the door behind him.

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Numair was stunned. All his poor magelet had done was take a small step toward the first food she had been given in only the gods knew how long. It wasn't her fault that the man that had been carrying the tray hadn't moved from between her and the table. What surprised him most was how two burly, armed soldiers managed to become so terrified of the small, frail, little girl. She was about as menacing as one of princess Kalasin's dolls.

He picked her up from the floor, and laid her on the couch, pulling the blankets over her. _She was such a mystery! He thought about the__night before_ when she had woken him up to tell him about her magic. What had happened to make her confess to him so suddenly? She had seemed dead set on not telling him anything when she had gone to bed. And now this! There was definitely more to this girl than met the eye.

Looking around, he noticed that she had left his book on the table next to the couch. He picked it up and started thumbing through it, waiting for Daine to wake up.

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She couldn't move. Something was on her legs, and she couldn't get up. Daine squirmed, managing to sit up, only to find the mage leaning against her legs, reading her book. He hadn't even seemed to notice her struggles. Daine cleared her throat.

"Oh! I apologize, Daine. I'm afraid I got caught up in my book." He smiled sheepishly, and then closed the book. "Are you alright? That dolt was rather violent with you. I think you might have a concussion."

Daine reached up to feel the place where she had been hit. Sure enough, there was a large bump there. She grimaced, and Numair reached to gently feel the lump.

"You stay here; I'll get your food. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to get up."

Daine nodded, and Numair took the tray off the table and set it in her lap. She ate half the food, and then offered the rest to the man.

'No, no. This is your food, you eat it. If I get too hungry, I can fly out the window and go to an inn." He smiled down at her, and then turned thoughtful. "Daine, if you can shapeshift, then why don't you turn into a bird and escape? There's no reason for you to stay, and you can't possibly like it here."

Daine looked down at her food. She was hoping she wouldn't have to have this discussion. "I can't leave, Numair. There's a very good reason for me to stay. "

"But why, magelet? I can't see that there's a problem at all."

"All I'll say is that having wild magic isn't the bed of roses that you make it out to be."

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_I'm not sure how many of you are going to get to this, what with Harry Potter coming out tomorrow and all that, but I hope that those of you made it liked the chapter. If you have any questions, or anything else, for that matter, feel free to review. Or just review anyway. It'll keep your mind off of the upcoming Pottermania. _

_Starling_


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